While his heritage is English, Irish, Scottish and Canadian, Dick Hanna was born in the Motor City, Detroit, Michigan in the good old USA. A self-starter from the beginning, Dick was reading books before kindergarten and continued that love of learning through high school and college where he was elected to Tau Beta Pi, an honorary fraternity and received a BS in Engineering, a BS in Math, an MS in Physics and later in life an MA in Natural Health.

In 1949, while still in school, he married his college sweetheart. They had two children, a boy and a girl. His son Larry has no children of his own but his daughter is married and has two children.

As a school boy Dick enjoyed swimming and tennis but in the early days of his career he was diagnosed with Polio. This limited his physical abilities and for sixty years he used two canes and now he gets around in an electric wheelchair...and get around he does! Dick enjoys the social aspect of the Towers, mixing with others and playing Bridge. Dick has traveled "everywhere". Over 100 countries, on 51 cruise ship voyages and he has hiked the entire John Muir trail three times. Quite an undertaking, each time the hike would take about six weeks and require three food resupplies along the way. He hiked using his two canes and carrying a back pack, camping every night and catching lots of delicious trout to eat.

While Dick does not subscribe to a particular religion or faith, as a Humanist he believes in a life based on humanity and reason, that each of us only have one life and it is our responsibility to live it to the fullest. Dick has a positive attitude and plenty of determination. He uses these abilities to make the best of what is.

When asked what he wishes for he relies, "I don't wish for anything, I just accept what is".